The Great Quake: On Site Reports

Abstract: Written within two weeks of the Oct. 17, 1989 California earthquake, these comments cannot be considered definitive. But they do stress two points: 1) Earthquake codes do work. Buildings constructed under seismic provisions that have been added in the past 15 years stood firm, while many unreinforced masonry structures and older buildings of all types failed. 2) Money for maintenance and retrofit of bridges and highways is well spent. The exact cause of the Bay Bridge failure had not been determined, but most damage, including the fatal collapse of I-880, was reported on highways that had not been retrofitted to new seismic standards.